“KEEP ON KEEPING ON”
On
May 10, 1996, 17 people were preparing to make their final assault on the
summit of Mt. Everest SUMMIT
Did
they reach the summit? Yes, they
did. Their goal had been reached. But had it?
What have I left out? What had
many in the group forgotten? This is summed up in what one of their experienced
leaders said, “The summit is really only
the halfway point. Any impulse I might
have felt toward self-congratulation was quickly extinguished by overwhelming
apprehension about the long, dangerous descent that lay ahead.”
Another leader was more blunt about it by saying, “With enough determination, any idiot can get up this hill, ….. the trick is
to get back down alive.”
Perhaps
you know this true story; but after reaching the summit, things drastically
changed. Through some delays, some
errors in judgment, and an unexpected severe weather change; their descent
began. With fatigue, oxygen deprivation, looming darkness, minus 70 degree wind
chill, hurricane force winds, and zero visibility - disaster loomed. In all, 9 people died on the descent – this
included some of the hardiest climbers and previous conquerors of Everest. For
these 9, was their goal achieved?
NO! They didn’t successfully
conquer Everest – which includes both the ASCENT AND THE DESCENT.
Why
am I reliving this story? Because it’s a
valuable lesson in life for all of us.
It’s about preparation, work, goal-setting, leadership, completion –
which encompasses PERSEVERANCE / PERSISTENCE. Perseverance is about continuing;
about “keep on keeping on” – whether you’re a student; a worker; on a sports
team; dealing with aging; or all of us in our Christian lives.
So
many things can get in the way of our persevering: fatigue; boredom; unexpected
obstacles or detours; influence of others; health or aging processes;
stagnation or inertia (slowness of process –
“nothing seems to be happening”);
anticlimactic (like descending the mountain); etc. Our God who made us knows
all this about us. That’s why there are many Bible passages dealing with “perseverance”.
·
Hebrews 10:35-6 – “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You
need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will
receive what he has promised.”
·
Colossians 1:11 – “Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so
that you may have great endurance (perseverance) and patience……..”
·
Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
We need to persevere in many areas of life
but none more important than our Christian journey! Just like the other promises from God, claim
the one for PERSEVERANCE. Pray to receive this.
This goes for us of all ages. An
especially critical time is for those of you between 18 and 25 – when you
finish High School and may be on your own for the first time. Now you must decide for yourself. It’s a time when you listen, think, study,
explore; BUT sincerely pray for our God to direct you during your quest. Another important time is when the aging
process intervenes (perhaps 40’s and older).
You may feel stagnant with life – and your religion. Now it’s time for you to pray for perseverance;
to follow others who are persevering well; to read and study more in order to
learn; to get more involved (even if you have to force yourself) – all these
and more in order to stimulate your mind and your activity.
You know I like quotes, so I’ll conclude
with a few:
·
“God
sometimes moves mountains one pebble at a time.”
·
“In
the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins
……..not through strength, but through perseverance.”
·
“May
God grant you the wisdom to discover the right, the will to
choose it, and the strength to persevere.”
F. Black –
Oct. 13, 2014
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